


It's not that complicated

by cian1675



Category: Block B
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, I don't know what this can be called lol, M/M, Multi, Polyamorous relationship, Polyamory, hyotaepyo, hyukzikyung, is mentioned and might be written in more detail later, whatever it's called
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-07-24 04:04:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7493121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cian1675/pseuds/cian1675
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Somehow, despite Jaehyo being an aromantic homosexual, Jihoon being a biromantic greysexual, and Taeil being just an all-out homoromantic homosexual, they manage to make this polyamorous relationship work. Or maybe it’s precisely because they’re so different that they need all three of them for this to work out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

_JAEHYO_

Jihoon is always a bit too affectionate even in public, hands lightly grazing Taeil’s chest for the fourth time in the short ten minutes since they’ve settled side by side in the diner’s booth. Jaehyo ignores the sight in favour of looking through the menu, asking if they’ll like _samgyeopsal_ or _bulgogi_ , since Jihoon’s treating for the night. Taeil tells him he can get whichever he’s craving (acting like _he’s_ the one treating instead), and Jihoon just agrees, fingers lightly kneading Taeil’s nipple under his shirt, so Jaehyo places an order for _bulgogi_ , rice and some drinks.

It’s not the first time people have stared at Jihoon and Taeil while they’re together, Jihoon’s wandering hands always a cause for drawing unnecessary attention when they’re out, but Jaehyo’s too used to it, so he just mumbles for them to start eating once the meat arrives, remembering to serve everyone enough food (especially Jihoon, because he always forgets when he’s distracted). He smiles politely to the shop lady who comes by asking if they’ll like more rice, lightly kicking Jihoon under the table so he’ll at least pretend to not be groping Taeil within an inch of his life in front of her. The boy (really, almost a man now, in a suit and all) finally stops, and the shop lady smiles, giving a polite nod before she goes off to get the extra rice.

When she returns, she passes the bowl to Jaehyo, eyes sympathetic like she thinks he’s the third wheel here, and he almost smiles at the thought, because really, _doesn’t that always seem the case from the outside?_ But a third wheel isn’t actually what he is, so he just brushes off her sympathy, and turns back to his food.

He mentions the shop lady’s reaction when they’re out of the shop, and Jihoon looks at him for a second before he asks, “Do you feel like a third wheel, hyung?”

“You know if you ever feel neglected, you just have to tell us,” Taeil adds, and Jaehyo smiles, a proper one where his teeth are almost showing.

“Why would I feel neglected?” Jaehyo replies, sticking his hands into his pockets as he starts to walk the short way back to their house. “I already have the two of you.”

 

 

_JIHOON_

Even though Jaehyo had said everything with a smile, Jihoon’s still a bit worried. He knows he touches Taeil too much when he doesn’t deliberately try to control it, and he hopes Jaehyo isn’t feeling left out because Jihoon had chosen to sit beside Taeil instead of him at the diner. He takes a few large strides to catch up to Jaehyo, easily looping an arm into Jaehyo’s, pressing his cheek against Jaehyo’s shoulder as they walk. It’s kind of awkward, walking like that, when they’re both similar height, but Jihoon manages, and Jaehyo doesn’t push him off, just lets him cling on until Jihoon has to eventually lift his face up because his neck hurts.

Behind them, Taeil is kicking a few random rocks on the road, humming one of his favourite songs (he never stops singing _4men_ , that dork), as he lets Jihoon stick to Jaehyo, a wordless agreement that they shouldn’t neglect Jaehyo even if he had said he was okay earlier. This is how they’ve gotten used to each other over the years, understanding the undercurrents of each other’s temperaments and the dynamics of each of their interactions. It hadn’t always been this easy, and Jihoon remembers how difficult it had been before they managed to get their relationship to this point, for it to work among the three of them. Jealousy is always an issue in relationships, even between two people, let along three, and it had taken a lot of communication and hard work to get here.

As they reach their shared apartment, Jihoon decides to play his card of being their youngest, and playfully asks Jaehyo to open their door, even though the keys are in his own pocket. Jaehyo just gives him a lopsided grin, eyes piercing him with a _look_ like he knows exactly what Jihoon’s up to as he slides his hand into Jihoon’s front trousers pocket, lightly patting Jihoon’s upper thigh as his fingers dig for the keys.

Taeil grabs the keys once Jaehyo fishes them out, and proceeds to open the door. Jihoon comes up behind Jaehyo, sticking each of his hands in one of Jaehyo’s front jeans pocket, leaning almost his full weight on Jaehyo’s back as he nudges him to move. Jaehyo doesn’t complain, just places his own hands over Jihoon’s, holding them as he half walks and half drags both their bodies into the hallway pass the door.

“I love you hyung,” Jihoon mumbles, low in Jaehyo’s ear, and feels the other shiver slightly at his voice.

“I know.”

 

 

_TAEIL_

As he looks at Jihoon nuzzled against Jaehyo, Taeil feels a smile growing on his face. He’ll never stop feeling so wonderfully lucky to have both of them with him, even if they are all such different people who seem like they won’t have anything in common when you first meet them. He had known Jaehyo since a little before university, when they were both working part-time at the local aquarium, and from the start, he had noticed how Jaehyo is always a bit detached, like he’s in his own world and can keep himself happily entertained within his own head. Jihoon on the other hand, is energetic, friendly, and thrives on having company, which apparently Taeil became part of once he was the student tutor for one of Jihoon’s classes, although Taeil was a senior to Jihoon’s first-year self. Somehow, despite Jaehyo being an aromantic homosexual, Jihoon being a biromantic greysexual, and Taeil being just an all-out homoromantic homosexual, they manage to make this polyamorous relationship work. Or maybe it’s precisely because they’re so different that they need all three of them for this to work out.

Jihoon takes the first shower, and Jaehyo flops down on the couch beside Taeil so they can wait for their turn. The apartment they share isn’t very big, but it’s a size they can comfortably afford. With Taeil running his tropical fish shop, Jaehyo running his fishing equipment shop (the irony), and Jihoon working an entry-level desk job at an office, they don’t have much spare finance that isn’t invested in their shops. Their combined income after removing their shops’ expenses is just enough to feed all of them and pay the rent (and have some for saving), so they hadn’t mind the apartment even if it only has one shower. There’s another bathroom with a toilet, but it doesn’t have a heater, so unless they’re really desperate, none of them ever use it to shower, preferring to wait for their turns. Besides, it’s not like it’ll take very long, because Jihoon’s the only one who showers alone. Taeil usually ends up sharing his with Jaehyo, and sometimes they do a bit more than shower, but most of the time they just help each other scrub their backs.

“Jihoon said he loves me again, and I could only reply ‘I know’,” Jaehyo says after a while of picking at his nails, and Taeil turns to look at the guy.

“That’s fine, we both know you don’t really feel romantic feelings in general, and we’re happy knowing you _like_ us enough,” Taeil replies, emphasizing the _like_ , careful not to use the word _love_ , and adds, “You don’t have to feel pressured to say anything you don’t want to, just because Jihoon likes to express his love verbally.”

“I know,” Jaehyo says, leaning into Taeil, and he sits up a bit taller so Jaehyo won’t have to lean too far (if there’s one thing that’s annoying about this relationship, it’s that both Jihoon and Jaehyo are so much taller than he is, but it’s just a minor thing, and he’s no longer hung up about his height, so). Taeil runs his hand through Jaehyo’s hair, gently patting until Jaehyo relaxes and his other hand traces lightly along Jaehyo’s inner arm, the skin softer there than the rest of his arm, gently grazing his fingernail on the silky skin.

“Hyung,” Jaehyo says, eyes closed from when Taeil started patting his head earlier, and Taeil can see his long eyelashes ghosting along his high cheekbones.

“Hmm?”

“Stop touching me unless you want Jihoon to come out to us naked on the couch.”

 

 

_JIHOON_

He’s a touchy kind of person, and sure, he likes to pinch Taeil’s nipples (that man has a nice chest, okay) but Jihoon doesn’t really think about sex a lot. It’s not that he doesn’t like it, or that he doesn’t _sometimes_ want it (and it’s really a very small number of sometimes, because sex is not a very big thing in his mind), but he much prefers the cuddling and small touches that come before, and he can definitely do without the messier dirtier bits of sex itself. When Taeil had first found out, he had called him a “greysexual”, and Jihoon had to ask what it means before he realized maybe the term kind of suits him.

 _A greysexual is someone who experiences sexual attraction very rarely, only under specific circumstances, or of an intensity so low that it’s ignorable_ , and when Jihoon heard the definition, he thought he finally has an explanation for why he never feels any of those sexual urges his friends have over random hot girls (or guys). He doesn’t really care for sex, unless it’s with someone he really loves, and even then, only when they initiate it. Jihoon can count on one hand the number of times he had been the one to initiate sex with Taeil and/or Jaehyo, but really, he knows it doesn’t matter, because they love him just as he is, and he loves them just as they are, even if right now they’re making a lot of groans and moans on the living room couch.

Jihoon rolls his eyes, dragging his towel through his damp hair to dry it, as he calls out, “The shower’s free, if you guys can actually get away from each other’s faces long enough to move there to use it.”

He heads into their bedroom, where they don’t have a bed (too expensive, and how will they fit all three of them comfortably?) but have instead three thick mattresses laid side by side, taking up most of the room’s floor. He sits down on the mattress, finding the hairdryer in the drawer and plugs it in to dry his hair thoroughly. He figures it’ll drown out a bit of their moans (Jaehyo’s always a bit loud, even if he’s pretty quiet any time else), and anyway, he’ll have some time to kill before they actually shower and come to the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been wanting to write a polyamorous relationship fic for a while, and I got affected by [this bunch of hyotaepyo posts](http://wannabblockb.tumblr.com/tagged/hyotaepyo) from _wannabblockb_ on tumblr, as well as [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZjohnERTGU) of P.O hanging on to Jaehyo in "My Music My Story". Anyway, combine that with my recent thoughts about ace and grey orientations (both romantic and sexual), and you have this fic. 
> 
> I hope you like it! There might be more chapters in the future, but I'm putting my [other fics](http://archiveofourown.org/users/cian1675/works) on higher priority for now, because this is kind of a side thing I'm writing when I get stuck on those. Unless of course, you guys really want more of this fic :) I'll love to hear comments on what you think!


	2. Two

_TAEIL_

Taeil’s glad he hired an assistant for his shop because even if he doesn’t mind staying with the many tanks of fishes from morning till night, he likes being at home in the evening when Jihoon comes back from work more.

“How’s work?” he asks, still sitting on the couch although his attention is already off the show he had been watching. He watches Jihoon put down his briefcase, tilting his head left and right to work out the kinks in his neck. Jihoon gives him a tired smile, before he loops his long arms around Taeil’s neck, resting his forehead against Taeil’s back.

“It’s the usual. Boring paperwork. Mad supervisors. How’s yours?”

“Hmm, the usual too. Some kids buying some guppies, and a couple of enthusiasts came by for the new shipment of fish, but that’s it.”

Jihoon walks over from behind the couch to in front of it, sitting down on the floor by Taeil’s legs. He leans his head back on Taeil’s knees, eyes closed, and Taeil’s wondering if he’s going to fall asleep when Jihoon speaks.

“There’s a company function next week. All the employees are invited, as well as their plus one.”

 _Oh_. Taeil’s mind goes blank at “plus one”, and his mouth opens before he has time to think, “Take Jaehyo as your plus one then, if you want.”

 

 

_JIHOON_

“What are you talking about, hyung?”

He hadn’t expected Taeil to tell him to take Jaehyo there. In fact, he only mentioned the function so he can tell Taeil how he’s going to miss it, and how it can be a day out for the three of them since the company is going to give all their employees the afternoon off. Taeil squirms a little, and Jihoon turns to look at him.

“Nothing. It’s just, between the two of us, Jaehyo’s the better option to bring as a plus one. He looks more proper whereas I have way too many tattoos.”

“But hyung, what’s wrong with your tattoos? They’re beautiful. And anyway, I’m not going to the function. I just told you about it because they’re giving us the afternoon off on that day.”

There’s a little exhale from Taeil, and he looks sheepish when he replies, “Oh, I just thought you were going to have to choose one of us to bring. But regardless, I still think if you ever have to bring a plus one anywhere, it’ll make more sense to bring Jaehyo. I mean, we’re all guys so it’ll be hard to explain to people that we’re your boyfriend or lover or what, so you’ll probably have to call us your good friend when you introduce us, but –“

Taeil’s rambling now, eyes glancing around and hands gesturing randomly, so Jihoon grabs his hands and holds them in his, patting one gently before he interrupts, “Hyung, it’s okay, you don’t need to think about it. Don’t worry yourself over what other people think of us. It’s okay.”

There’s a short moment when Taeil looks surprised and leaves his mouth hanging open mid-ramble, but he recovers and closes it quickly.

 

 

_JAEHYO_

Jihoon tells him about what had happened that evening when they’re all snuggled in bed at night. Taeil’s already fully asleep, sleeping starfish style on his mattress, and Jihoon presses his nose into Jaehyo’s back, fingers lightly resting on his ribs.

“What should we do?” Jihoon’s voice is quiet and it shows how worried he is about what Taeil had said. Jaehyo had been at his shop when it happened, but from Jihoon’s recount, it sounds like Taeil had been pretty insecure about more things than just how their polyamorous relationship looks like to the outside world. He sighs, and Jihoon mirrors it with a huff of his own.

“Let’s think about what we can do, hmm? I don’t have any good answers right now.”

 

 

He’s in his shop wiping the fishing rods hanging on the shelves when a thought occurs to him.

He’s already considered the pros and cons of getting Jihoon to bring Taeil to the function regardless of what Taeil had said, just to show him that Jihoon (and Jaehyo) are not ashamed of him, their relationship or his tattoos. But he had concluded that it’ll most likely be more harmful than helpful, because Taeil will still feel uncomfortable throughout the whole event, and the plan will probably backfire, making him more self-conscious about the ink and his very male status in a function probably filled with un-tattooed hetero couples.

But what if, instead of this very public, but also very pointless and insignificant company event, they bring Taeil somewhere private and special, where he doesn’t have to worry about people’s opinions of his inked body or their unusual relationship? Jaehyo can already think of a few places that they can go, and he quickly jots them down, so he can ask Jihoon about it later.

 

 

_TAEIL_

Jaehyo and Jihoon are hiding something from him, he knows. They’ve been talking more when he’s not near, and their conversation stops when he goes to them, although they quickly pick up a new line of discussion. At first he thinks he’s just being paranoid, picking up signs where nothing’s happening, but Taeil’s becoming more certain now, because he’s caught a few of the glances they throw his way when they think he’s not looking, and _something’s definitely up_.

He’s thinking that he should just speak up and ask them, because secrets in any relationship would only breed distrust, and Taeil knows just how dangerous that little seed of doubt can be in a polyamorous relationship. He waits for a good timing after they have all showered, figuring he needs to ask Jihoon and Jaehyo at the same time, rather than ask each of them one on one. Jaehyo’s helping Jihoon dry his hair with the hairdryer, and Jihoon’s scrolling through something on his phone. When Jaehyo’s done and sets the hairdryer down, Taeil thinks it’s as good a time to speak as he can possibly get.

“Guys, I want to ask you something.” Hoping he doesn’t sound too serious or worse still, ominous, Taeil quickly adds, “It’s nothing serious, don’t worry, but I just… I’ve noticed that you two talk a lot on your own lately, and stop talking when I’m around. Are you by any chance hiding something from me?”

The slow blinks Jaehyo gives and the wide-eyed face of surprise that Jihoon has suggest that something is indeed being kept from him, and Taeil waits patiently for one of them to speak. Sometimes, he thinks this relationship has truly taught him how to always strive to be the best version of himself he can be, because the Lee Taeil of a few years ago would never have been able to understand that communication in a relationship is as much about giving the other party space as it is about the actual words exchanged. The Lee Taeil now knows his partners (lovers?) would talk to him, and they would be as truthful as he is to them, but they also need a bit of time to sort out their words; that the long moment of silence is not because they are plotting lies to feed him with. (At least, he tries not to _think_ that, because then, he’ll always be doubting them, and he can’t have that. Taeil tries his best to set a good example as their oldest, when he remembers to.)

The wait pays off, because eventually Jaehyo says, “We are hiding something from you, but it’s actually supposed to be a surprise. So, just give us a few more days, and you’ll know what’s going on.”

There’s an awkward smile on Jihoon’s face, which Taeil thinks might be their youngest trying to win him over, so he relents. “Okay, keep your secret for now, but you better tell me what’s going on soon.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll _show_ you,” Jihoon’s face morphs into a cheeky smile, and the seriousness in the room dissipates, Taeil lunging over to attack both of them with a round of rough tickling. But he ends up being the one held down by Jaehyo’s strong arms, Jihoon tormenting him with never-ending runs of fingers up and down his sides.

“Stop, Jihoon, stop!” There’s tears leaking down his cheeks, but neither of them listens to his pleas. Taeil isn’t a weak man by any means, but Jaehyo has the advantage of height and a deceptively strong body despite his lean-looking frame, and he’s trapped under Jaehyo’s chest now. Struggling only makes Jaehyo grin wider, so Taeil does the only thing he can think of: kiss Jaehyo.

The mood suddenly takes a different turn, from playful teasing into something _else_ , and Jihoon quickly lets up on the tickling, muttering, “Oh my _god_ , guys. I need to sleep and go to work early tomorrow. Please try not to moan too loudly.”

 

 

_JIHOON_

He’s heading home while the sun is high in the sky, and on any other day that would make Jihoon happy enough to skip home (yes, he’s a grown man, but he can still skip, okay). But today he’s too tired because despite his request last night, Jaehyo and Taeil had been louder than usual, and he couldn’t fall asleep until the two of them finally went out of the room to take another shower.

Smacking his cheeks so he’ll stay awake, Jihoon finds a smile starting on his face when he remembers how Jaehyo had evaded Taeil’s question yesterday, managing to keep their plans for today a secret still. It had been smart to tell Taeil they’ll only let him in on the secret _a few days later_ , when they’ve actually planned the secret trip for today, the day Jihoon’s company is having a function. The company function is the whole reason why Jaehyo even thought of this special trip to begin with, because Taeil had seemed so bothered when Jihoon brought up the topic the other day.

_I wonder how surprised Taeil hyung will be later?_

 

 

Jihoon picks up the car Jaehyo had rented for the day after he changes out of his suit into casual clothes at home. Driving to Jaehyo’s shop first, Jihoon helps Jaehyo load the car boot with the extra clothes, swimming trunks, flotation devices and food the other had packed after Taeil left for his shop earlier today.

“Hyung, are you sure we need so much food?”

“Yes, we do. You’ll thank me later.”

“Did you pack towels?”

“Yeah, they’re in that bag over there.”

“What about underwear?”

Jaehyo’s long pause could only mean one thing, and Jihoon supposes it’s lucky they only forgot underwear, instead of something important. Insisting that they don’t have time to turn back home to get the missing items, Jaehyo walks over to Taeil’s fish shop three doors down, and kidnaps him into the car, where Jihoon’s already strapped into the driver’s seat.

“Let’s go,” Jaehyo exclaims from the backseat, and Taeil’s confusedly putting on his seatbelt when Jihoon starts the engine, ready to start their day out.

 

 

_TAEIL_

He doesn’t expect to find himself in a stream in the middle of the woods, playing with water on a weekday, but that’s where Taeil is right now. There’s no one around other than the three of them, and even Jihoon who usually hates showing his body publicly has his shirt off, pale skin exposed to the sun’s rays for once. Jaehyo’s somewhere a little far off, trying to catch small fish with his cupped hands, and Taeil revels in the sensation of being outside and free, away from the noise of the city, and its crowds.

“This is great,” Taeil says, and then repeats a second time in a louder voice, just because he can, knowing that it won’t disturb anyone even if he shouts it at the top of his lungs. “I forgive the two of you for keeping me in the dark while you guys planned this trip.”

“Aw hyung, telling us is not enough. Show us how grateful you are!” Jihoon teases, splashing some water his way.

“What do you want me to do, Jihoon?” Taeil replies, ignoring how cold the stream water is where it had landed on his naked torso, and bends down to scoop some water so he can splash Jihoon.

“Tell us how much you love us!” Jihoon yells, half because he’s probably enjoying how loud he can be here in the woods, and half because of the coldness of the water Taeil had splashed him landing on his chest.

“I love you, Pyo Jihoon and Ahn Jaehyo!” Taeil shouts at the top of his lungs, hands stretched out, “I love you more than my arms can contain, and I’ll love you even more if I could.” He thinks it’s oddly appropriate for the wonderful scenic setting that not even Jaehyo bats an eyelid at his blatant declaration of love.

 

 

_JAEHYO_

Normally, the word love makes him uncomfortable, not because he doesn’t like knowing that Taeil and Jihoon love him, but because he sometimes feels guilty about not ever really feeling anything stronger than _like_ towards anyone in general. But today he doesn’t mind hearing Taeil shout it out loud because his hyung is obviously in a _good_ mood, having been the first to strip off his clothes to get into the water, unashamed of the many tattoos on his body, and not caring what anyone thinks of him right now. It makes Jaehyo realize that Taeil isn’t really insecure about his body or their polyamorous relationship, but maybe he feels like he needs to be, in front of society’s standards.

It might seem like hiding, what they’re doing right now, playing by themselves in a secluded place away from the watchful eye of others, but really, Jaehyo thinks it’s more along the lines of, learning how not to be bothered by society’s norms or the opinions of people who don’t matter.

It’s a lesson that Jihoon quickly learns, because he’s running around with his butt exposed after Jaehyo and Taeil had conspired to pants him once they’ve changed into dry clothes sans underwear. Not caring about how much skin he has exposed for once, Jihoon chases them down, laughing as he tackles Jaehyo to the ground, and Jaehyo lets him, because he knows he can easily flip Jihoon over if he wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol. I couldn't resist writing more even though I said this fic isn't of high priority. (Who am I kidding?)
> 
> Let me know what you think :)


	3. Three

_JIHOON_

Taeil had been the one who introduced the notion of polyamory to Jihoon, back when they were getting closer to each other in university. They weren’t really anything then, not yet, and Jihoon had been under the impression that Taeil was dating Jaehyo at that time. When Taeil had leaned in a bit too close one night while they were studying together, Jihoon had been surprised. There was a slight sliver of space between their lips that Taeil had given, an indication that he was leaving it up to Jihoon to close the gap if he wanted to. But instead of reaching over that short distance to kiss those lips he had been dreaming about, Jihoon ended up asking Taeil whether he was cheating on Jaehyo.

That would have been a real mood killer in any other situation, but Taeil had ended up laughing, head thrown back, tears in his eyes. When he finally calmed down, Taeil explained how Jaehyo knew about his interest in Jihoon, and how he was alright with Taeil having more than one partner. Jihoon hadn’t understood what Taeil meant then, and it took several different variations of explanations before Jihoon finally got that some people just love more than one person, and that they can have intimate romantic and/or sexual relations with more than one person without it being cheating because everyone involved is fully informed and has given their consent. That the whole premise of polyamorous relationships was based on being able to love and care for more than one person with the full consent of everyone involved eventually made sense to Jihoon once he started feeling something for Jaehyo too, long after he got together with Taeil.

Being the kind of person who’s happy to know that something works without having to know the mechanism behind how it runs, Jihoon hasn’t really thought too much about polyamory since those days in university, content to live with how their relationship currently is. But now, he’s wondering if loving more than one person can also involve someone outside of their current circle of three.

 

 

It started when he went to work the day after their trip to the stream in the woods. The moment he got into office, Jihoon could sense a tenseness in the air, and a quick asking around revealed that everyone’s gossiping and speculating over something that happened at the company function the day before.

Apparently, a manager called Woo Jiho had brought a guy as his plus one, whom he introduced not as a friend, but as his boyfriend. That his date for the night had been a guy was already cause for gossip, but when another guy had turned up to bring Woo Jiho’s date home, a guy who claimed to also be the date’s boyfriend, the gossip had got even hotter. Everyone’s curious whether there’s any infidelity or cheating involved, wondering if Woo Jiho was a victim or the third-party. Jihoon tried not to roll his eyes, wary of involving himself in office gossip for all the questionable credibility of information, but when he had seen Manager Woo in a meeting later, he couldn’t help but let the question flash through his mind.

It was by chance that he came across Manager Woo in the employee’s lounge during lunch, somehow ending up chatting with the guy. Manager Woo (“Call me Jiho.”) seemed pleasant enough, despite his initially stern appearance, and Jihoon had found himself relaxing even though the guy is of a more senior position and older in age than he is. That was how he accidentally let slip the gossip he had heard, and Jiho had blinked, before he told Jihoon that all the speculations were wrong, because his boyfriend and date for the night is polyamorous, and Jiho’s one of his two boyfriends. The simple revelation surprised Jihoon, although Jiho brushes it off as nothing secretive to be kept, remarking that he had been meaning to come out about it anyway, or he would not have brought Kyungie (his boyfriend) to the company function. The honesty was refreshing, and Jihoon knew he hadn’t needed to, but he thought it was only fair to share that he’s also in a polyamorous relationship.

The conversation had ended then because lunch was over, but when Jihoon saw Jiho at the vending machine on another occasion, Jiho had smiled, picking up where they left off, and mentioning that Jihoon’s relationship with his two partners is a closed triad, whereas Jiho’s one is a V, with Kyungie at the centre of the V. Jihoon hadn’t understood either of the terms, and Jiho had laughed, suggesting he read some internet articles about types of polyamorous relationship to find out what a triad or a V relationship is.

So he does. And that’s how Jihoon realizes there’s more than one type of polyamorous relationship, and that it’s totally possible (in theory at least) to love and be involved with someone else besides Jaehyo and Taeil in their current closed circle of three (or the closed triad, as Jiho had called it).

 

 

_TAEIL_

Taeil’s just scrolling the internet for more fish videos, when Jihoon puts down the phone he’s been looking at for most of the night and asks, “Hyung, did you know complex polyamorous relationship are sometimes called polycule?”

“What the heck is a _polycule_?” The word sounds foreign on Taeil’s tongue, and he’s not sure why Jihoon’s suddenly interested in poly terms.

“It’s basically polyamory plus the word molecule,” Jihoon replies, before he reads off his phone, “ _Polycule is used to describe any system of connected non-monogamous relationships_.”

The word still makes zero sense to him, so Taeil just frowns at Jihoon, nudging Jaehyo with his toes so he’ll listen too, from where he’s half asleep while watching some game streaming.

“Uh,” Jihoon thinks, face tense with concentration as he tries to find an explanation, and Taeil waits, poking Jaehyo with more force this time, since he hasn’t responded. After a while, Jihoon says, “It’s like, let’s say the three of us, we’re already in a relationship right. Because there’re three of us, it’s called a _triad_ , and we don’t have any other intimate relationships, so it’s a _closed_ triad.”

Taeil follows so far, so he motions for Jihoon to continue. He’s read at least this much back when he first started considering polyamory in university.

“But if let’s say we open up our relationship, be it to sexual partners or romantic partners, then it’ll be an open triad. So it would not be a triangle anymore, but more like each of the points of the triangle has lines going out? Because each of the line would represent a relationship between two parties…?”

Jihoon’s trying very hard to explain, he can tell, but Taeil is making neither heads nor tails of the imaginary lines he’s drawing in the air, or the words he’s saying. Frustrated, Taeil tries for a calm voice when he asks, “Jihoon, why are you suddenly looking up polyamory terms anyway? And do I really need to know what a polycube is?”

“Poly _cule_. Not polycube.” Jihoon cups his face between his hands, pouting when he replies, “No, you don’t need to know what a polycule is. But like. What if one day, just hypothetically speaking, I fall in love with someone else besides you and Jaehyo? Then what would our relationship look like?”

His first reaction is jealousy, the feeling of it swirling inside his belly and threatening to have him yell at Jihoon, loudly shouting to ask if he’s fallen in love with someone now. Pushing down that immediate reaction, Taeil thinks his phrasing through carefully, before he says, “Are you interested in someone right now? Besides us, I mean.”

Maybe Jihoon really only asked the question hypothetically, and Taeil’s the one grasping at straws, seeing green at nothing, because Jihoon just frowns a bit. “No, not really.”

Beside him, Jaehyo finally tears his eyes away from his phone and looks at them, “Did I miss anything?”

 

 

_JAEHYO_

Jihoon’s been using his phone a lot recently, Jaehyo realizes. He hears the Kakaotalk notification ring through the house, Jihoon making a lot of noise as he gets up to pick up his phone from where he’s left it charging by the wall. It’s the sixth time in the last hour. _Maybe it’s a different friend sending Jihoon messages_ , Jaehyo thinks, wondering if he’s just thinking too much. But he catches Taeil’s darkening expression, and he doesn’t know if there might be something he had missed.

Jihoon unplugs his phone from the charger, settling down into the couch to reply his message, and Jaehyo snuggles up beside the boy (really still a boy more than a man, especially when he’s not wearing his work suits). He sticks his chin on Jihoon’s shoulder, peering over to read the messages, and Jihoon doesn’t push him off, so Jaehyo thinks it’s a good sign.

There’s nothing much in the texts exchanged, the sender being someone Jihoon had saved as “Manager Woo Jiho”. What Jaehyo can see looks like simple messages one might exchange with their supervisor, so he stops reading. Sliding his arm into the space between Jihoon’s elbow and body, Jaehyo mumbles, “Why are you talking to your manager after work? Don’t they care about work-life balance?”

Jihoon hums as he types a reply on his phone, and he manages to say something like “Not my manager. And not work.” (He always had trouble multitasking typing on the phone and talking to people, which Jaehyo finds really funny and kind of cute.)

Deciding to wait for Jihoon to finish so he can get more complete and coherent answers, Jaehyo only speaks after Jihoon puts his phone down, “So who’s Manager Woo if he’s not your manager? And what were you guys talking about if it’s not work?”

From where he’s sitting, Jaehyo can see Taeil suddenly interested, leaning forward slightly when he hears the questions, although he’s pretending to be engrossed in the show on TV. Jihoon doesn’t notice, just answers, “Jiho hyung is just someone I talk to in office, I guess? He’s in a polyamorous relationship too, and he’s interesting to talk to, so I’ve been texting him on and off.”

“Polyamorous relationship? What kind?” Taeil sounds terse, which Jaehyo doesn’t really understand. _Isn’t it great to know someone else who’s kind of in a similar relationship as they are?_ He can see why Jihoon might be interested in talking to Manager Woo even if the guy is his senior at work.

“V, I think that’s what it’s called? Basically Jiho’s boyfriend is this guy called Kyung, and Kyung has another boyfriend called Minhyuk, but Jiho and Minhyuk aren’t a thing. Kind of like our relationship when we first started and I wasn’t in love with Jaehyo hyung yet,” Jihoon answers easily.

Jaehyo takes in the reply, recalling how it had been back in university before Jihoon got closer to him. He feels a smile on his lips, because he remembers how different they were back then. He used to get so jealous of Taeil and Jihoon when they hung out together, because Jihoon was – is still – always touchy, particularly when it comes to Taeil.

On the other side of Jihoon, Taeil lets out a breath, muttering, “Oh, so Jiho’s not the one who’s poly, then.” His hyung relax a little, expression less tense, although Jaehyo’s not sure why.

“Nah hyung, Jiho hyung is also poly. He said he broke up with his other boyfriend a few months back, which is why he’s only currently seeing Kyung.”

Jihoon answer has Taeil sitting up again, and this time it’s clearly worry on Taeil’s face when he scoots closer to Jihoon. Unsure what’s going on with the guy, Jaehyo throws Taeil a _look_ , which is returned with a shrug of faked nonchalance. Suspicious, Jaehyo turns to Jihoon, but he just gives him a “ _I don’t know what’s going on either_ ” face.

Great, he must have really missed out on something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope all the terms mentioned aren't a huge overload of information. Polycule defintion from urbandictionary. The rest are from random sites combined.
> 
> Also, there's new characters, and something happening that's not resolved within 1 chapter... This fic is starting to take on it's own life. It wants to be a properly chaptered fic :/ 
> 
> I threw in hyukzikyung (whatever it's called) because my [other fic with zikyung/bkyung](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7374883/chapters/16751527) is getting angsty (like duh, I intended it to be) but I kind of wanted an established comfortable relationship for the three here, after I got stuck for that fic. Though, maybe that's not going to be the case here for long either? I don't know. Let me know what you guys think :)


	4. Four

_JAEHYO_

Jaehyo meets Woo Jiho by chance. He was in his shop, balancing his accounts when a tall man in a suit came in, rapping his knuckles on the counter politely to get Jaehyo’s attention. Jaehyo had put down his account book, asking the man what he was looking for, and the guy had asked what a beginner to fishing might want as a gift. Manager Woo hadn’t revealed his name at that time, not that Jaehyo would have treated him differently if he had known that the fierce looking man with elegantly slanted monolids was Jihoon’s senior at work. No, Jaehyo just suggested some fishing hooks and baits that a beginner might like, casually asking who the gift was for. The man shrugged, saying it’s just a first meeting gift for a senior management he has to meet soon. Later, Jaehyo had wrapped up the hooks Manager Woo had chosen, although it’s just some regular packaging because he doesn’t run a gift shop. It was only when Manager Woo had to pay, slipping his credit card across the counter, did Jaehyo learn the name of his customer.

“Woo Jiho-ssi?”

Manager Woo had looked up in surprise, and Jaehyo had quickly apologized, knowing people rarely read the names off their customer’s credit card (or if they do, they don’t say it aloud). He quickly explained how his _friend_ (referring to Jihoon, who’s most definitely more than a friend, but it’s not something a stranger needs to know) has a colleague by the same name, and that was why he had been surprised to see the name. Jaehyo had expected Manager Woo to drop the subject, but instead, they end up chatting even after he returned Manager Woo his card and Jaehyo finds out that this Woo Jiho is the same Woo Jiho Jihoon had been texting for the last week or so.

He wasn’t sure which he was more surprised by, that coincidences like this could happen, or that Manager Woo had pointed out before he left that Jaehyo kept calling him “Manager Woo” even though he doesn’t work at the same company.

“You can just call me Jiho. Jihoon calls me Jiho too. Well, technically he says Jiho hyung, but you’re older, so you won’t need to.”

Jiho’s words probably hadn’t meant anything, but Jaehyo had felt oddly flustered, bowing slightly as Jiho left. Even now, in the evening, hours after he had met the guy, Jaehyo feels strangely unsettled. _Maybe he just feels weird calling the guy Jiho_ , Jaehyo thinks, although he doesn’t think that’s the only reason. Pushing the thoughts out of his mind, Jaehyo adjusts Jihoon’s feet where they’re rested on his lap, so the heels don’t dig into his legs. But he doesn’t quite succeed in doing either, because Jihoon presses his toes into the flesh of his thighs, and Jaehyo hears himself yelp slightly before he says without thinking, “I saw Woo Jiho earlier today.”

 

 

_TAEIL_

The name Woo Jiho sounds familiar, and it takes only a second for Taeil to realize why. _Wasn’t that the manager Jihoon had gotten close to recently?_ He looks quizzically at Jaehyo, asking, “Where did you see him?”

He hopes he doesn’t sound as territorial as he does in his mind. He probably hadn’t, because Jihoon doesn’t react, and Jaehyo answers without giving him any strange looks, “He came to my shop today. I didn’t even know who he was until I saw his credit card, and it’s such a coincidence that he’s actually the same Woo Jiho who works at the same company as Jihoon.”

Before Taeil can think of something to reply, Jihoon starts asking what Jaehyo thinks of Jiho, whether he agrees that Jiho’s actually nicer than his initial intimidating appearance, and Taeil kind of tunes out. He doesn’t really want to know more about this Woo Jiho. Even if he knows he’s probably being stupid getting jealous over nothing (Jihoon and Jaehyo can have friends who are not Taeil, just like he can have friends who are not Jihoon and Jaehyo), Taeil can’t help feeling left out. He pulls out his phone and starts surfing the internet randomly, not caring what he’s looking at as long as he’s distracted.

 

 

It’s a few days later when he’s at his shop that Taeil tries to sort out his head.

He’s been ignoring his thoughts, being sulky by himself in his head. Sometimes Jaehyo and Jihoon pick up on his moods, and sometimes they don’t. Even if they’ve been together for years, they’re only human, and they don’t always realize that Taeil’s being a grumpy little man for no apparent reason. _It’s fine_ , he thinks, although it’s been too long a period for them not to notice that something’s up with him. After all, he’s the one being stubborn, not telling them what he’s feeling or thinking despite their agreement to always be honest with each other. Conveniently pushing that thought out of his mind, Taeil puts his restless energy into tidying up the fish tanks. At least that way, he can be productive, because he’s going nowhere with sorting out his head.

 

 

_JIHOON_

Taeil has been acting weird lately. Jaehyo too, sometimes. Jihoon has been trying to cheer them up by being in high spirits every time he gets home, even though he would much rather rest than expend more energy after a tiring day at work, but it doesn’t seem to be working. He’s lying boneless on the ground against the couch right now, the other two having headed for the bathroom to shower, so he can finally lay off the cheery act. But a couple of moments into closing his eyes, Jaehyo pads into the living room, still dressed in the same clothes he had worn earlier, and Jihoon knows something’s off.

“Taeil hyung said he wants to shower alone today,” Jaehyo says, voice kind of hollow. The words alone have Jihoon worried, but Jaehyo’s tone means _he_ knows something’s wrong too.

“Did he say why?” Jihoon asks, sitting up as Jaehyo dumps his fresh clothes and towel on the table and takes a seat on the floor beside him.

“No,” Jaehyo answers, face screwing up as he starts to worry.

Jihoon thinks he probably has a similar expression on his face, a side effect of mirroring each other’s behavior from the many years together they’ve been together. It’s probably also the reason why when Jihoon opens his mouth, he ends up saying the same words as Jaehyo.

“We need to talk to him.”

 

 

Taeil doesn’t look surprised when he finds Jihoon and Jaehyo looking straight at him when he emerges from the shower. If anything, Jihoon thinks it might be an expression of _relief_ on his hyung’s face. He doesn’t understand any of this, so he decides to be straightforward, “Hyung, is there something wrong? You know you can tell us anything, right?”

Beside him, Jaehyo nods earnestly. Taeil frowns slightly where he’s standing, before he grimaces and admits, “Yeah. Yeah there is. I’ve been… feeling jealous.”

The first thought Jihoon has is _, what can Taeil hyung be jealous about?_ (He didn’t spend too much time with Jaehyo over Taeil by accident, did he?) But Taeil seems to have considered what he wants to say in the shower already, and Jihoon doesn’t have time to speculate further before his hyung continues, “I know it’s stupid, but… I’ve been feeling kind of left out, what’s with you getting to know a new… friend, that Woo Jiho person. And then Jaehyo ends up meeting him too, although it’s totally a coincidence, and I don’t know. I just feel… out of the loop.”

Jihoon reaches for Taeil’s hand subconsciously, and Jaehyo has apparently done the same instinctively, because now they’re all touching each other. It’s comforting though, and Jihoon has to blink hard to remember what he had wanted to say before he got distracted by the familiar contact of hands on hands, “It’s not stupid, hyung. Your feelings are valid. I didn’t know you felt that way though.”

Jaehyo lightly drapes a hand around Taeil’s waist, pulling him down to join them on the floor, and mumbles against Taeil’s wet hair, “You should have told us earlier. I didn’t know you were upset.”

Rubbing small circles into Taeil’s back, Jihoon waits for a reply. Eventually, Taeil says, “I know. I’m sorry. I should have said this earlier, but I didn’t like how I was feeling so easily jealous of nothing.”

“It’s not really _nothing_ , hyung, don’t downplay your feelings.”

After Jaehyo’s comment, none of them say anything for a while, whether in deep thought or half falling asleep in the close warmth of familiar bodies, Jihoon’s not sure (he knows he’s mostly sleepy, but that’s just him). But a thought suddenly pops into Jihoon’s drowsy mind, so he shakes off the hazy cloud in his head to speak.

“You know, maybe you can meet Jiho. Maybe you feel kind of jealous because you are the only one who hasn’t seen him, but we can change that, right? I can arrange a time for all three of us to meet with Jiho, just like a casual lunch or something. That way, you won’t be the only one out of the loop, and there won’t be any reason to be jealous anymore, right?”

Jaehyo’s eyes light up at his suggestion, and he adds, “Yeah, hyung, I think Jihoon’s right. Maybe meeting Woo Jiho will help dispel any speculations of him you have in your mind. I know you sometimes think too much and don’t tell us.”

Taeil’s response is a huff, squirming to bury his face into Jaehyo’s chest, and Jihoon’s wondering if he needs to pry an answer out of his hyung, when Taeil finally mumbles, “Okay.”

 

 

_JAEHYO_

They’re early, arriving at the small café they’ve agreed to meet Jiho for lunch fifteen minutes before they’re due because Taeil couldn’t stop pacing around their small apartment, and Jaehyo had thought maybe getting them out of the house earlier would take Taeil’s mind off things. Taeil’s a bit more composed now that they’re outside, but it is only slightly better than when he was in the house. Jaehyo can see Taeil still slightly fidgety with nervous energy.

He slips an arm casually around Taeil’s shoulder the same time Jihoon says, “Hyung, don’t worry. Jiho’s a pretty friendly guy.”

Taeil manages a smile, even though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. Raising a tattooed hand to push his round glasses up, Taeil says, “Let’s just go in.”

 

 

The café’s pretty busy even though it’s rather early for lunch, and Jaehyo lets go of his arm around Taeil’s shoulder so they can walk in a single file past the customers queuing at the counter ( _speaking of which, Taeil’s a really good height to rest his elbow, but he’ll never tell him that to his face_ ). They find a four seater in a corner at the back, which Jaehyo’s grateful for, because it’s away from the noise near the busier parts of the café. He takes a seat back-facing the entrance, knowing Taeil will want to see Jiho when he walks in, and that Jihoon should sit facing the entrance because he’s the person Jiho will definitely recognize. For once, Jihoon’s not letting his hands roam freely over Taeil even though they’re seated side by side, and Jaehyo feels a little strange seeing how overly conscious Jihoon is of where he’s putting his hands.

When Jiho comes in just a little before the time they agreed on, Jaehyo doesn’t notice, until he hears the scrap of chairs being dragged against the floor from Taeil and Jihoon standing up to greet the guy. Jaehyo follows suit, pushing his chair so he can get up too. Jihoon greets first, a quick hi, and Jaehyo sticks his hand out for a handshake, figuring it’s probably polite because this might as well be considered their first meeting since he hadn’t known he had been talking to Woo Jiho in his shop before. Jiho takes his hand with a smile, and Jaehyo introduces himself, just his name, but Jihoon adds that Jaehyo’s his boyfriend.

“Nice to meet you again, Jaehyo… hyung. I can call you hyung right?”

Jiho sounds more bashful than he had been in the shop previously, but Jaehyo doesn’t think too much of it, just nodding, before he motions for Taeil to introduce himself. Taeil doesn’t speak though, just stands there awkwardly, and Jiho ends up introducing himself first.

“Hi, I’m Woo Jiho. I work at the same company as Jihoon. It’s nice to meet you guys after hearing about you from Jihoon.”

Jiho’s smile is charming, transforming his stern face into something softer, younger, and if Taeil was awkward before, he suddenly looks distinctly more uncomfortable. Jaehyo’s wondering if he’s clammed up or something, until Taeil stammers out, “Uh, hi, I’m Lee Taeil. I’m also Jihoon’s boyfriend. Though technically I’m Jaehyo’s boyfriend as well… we’re kind of all together.”

Jiho doesn’t comment on Taeil’s nervousness, just says, “Ah yeah, I've heard. You guys are a closed triad right?”

Taeil only nods, so Jaehyo replies yes, and Jihoon asks them to all sit down while he goes to order their food from the counter. Left with only Taeil and Jiho at the table, Jaehyo tries to think of something to say, because Taeil’s hardly speaking, but Jiho opens his mouth first.

“Taeil hyung, right? I’ve kind of met Jaehyo hyung in his shop before, but this is my first time meeting you. You look younger than I expected.”

Taeil gives a choked laugh, before he says, “Sorry, I always hear that I have a baby face, and I know people say it as a compliment, but I’m actually the oldest amongst us. Jihoon’s the youngest, but he looks more like the hyung than I do…” There’s a short pause when Taeil looks to Jaehyo for help (which Jaehyo can’t give, because _what’s he supposed to say now?_ ), before he adds, “Sorry, I was rambling, wasn’t I?

“No, it’s fine. It’s kind of cute,” Jiho quickly replies, although he colours a little after he says that, bringing a hand to cover his mouth.

Jaehyo’s the only one who notices how Jiho’s giving Taeil little glances when he thinks the guy isn’t looking, because Taeil’s kind of covered his face in embarrassment now after his rambling. He doesn’t think too much of it at first, figuring that Jiho’s just checking Taeil’s reaction to what he had said, until Jiho pouts slightly at Taeil after Taeil keeps his face still hidden behind his hands.

_Is Jiho... flirting with Taeil?_

Jaehyo’s almost going to cut in, say something (anything) to get rid of the awkward tension, when he notices that behind his colourfully tattooed fingers, Taeil’s sneaking peeks at Jiho.

Instead of trying to figure out what to say to break the silence, Jaehyo finds his thoughts wandering to memories of how Taeil had behaved back when he first started taking an interest in Jihoon. _Hadn’t he been shy but curious like this too?_ It’s not helped by the sudden recollection of Taeil mentioning that he has a _thing_ for tall men, even if he doesn’t really have an ideal type, and _isn’t Jiho almost as tall as Jaehyo?_

Luckily, Jihoon returns just then, a buzzer in hand, offhandedly saying, “I hope you guys like pasta. I ordered what the girl at the counter recommended,” breaking the silence that has fallen and the uncomfortable feeling growing inside Jaehyo that for the first time in a long time, he might actually have been a third wheel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Jiho appears, bringing with him complications to the story. Things about about to get complicated, contrary to what the fic title tells you. Lol. This is what happens when a fic that's supposed to be a bunch of standalone oneshots put together becomes a chaptered fic. I don't know if I should be sorry. :/
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed reading and I'll love to know what you think about this chapter!


	5. Five

_JIHOON_

It’s after Jiho excuses himself to the toilet does Taeil suddenly say, “I guess he’s not that bad.”

“Who? Jiho hyung?” Jihoon’s munching on ice from his drink, enjoying the crunch although it’s too cold and makes his mouth numb.

“Yeah. He’s a nice guy. He was asking us what we like to do and generally trying to lead the conversation,” Taeil explains. “Jaehyo and I were pretty quiet but that didn’t stop him.”

Jihoon nods, turning his head so he can take in Taeil’s face. His hyung is twirling pasta on his fork, fingers working to keep the motion, and the concentration on his face is so cute, Jihoon couldn’t help but lean forward to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Jihoon,” Taeil protests although he doesn’t resist. So Jihoon adds another peck, this time on his ear, and he feels, rather than sees Jaehyo roll his eyes.

“Jiho’s walking back,” Jaehyo mumbles without moving his lips, and it’s Jihoon’s turn to roll his eyes this time.

“It’s okay, I don’t think he’ll mind,” Jihoon whispers with a hand over his mouth to direct the sound to Jaehyo, who just gives him a bored stare. Jihoon had been pretty conscious of not casually touching Taeil or Jaehyo too much in front of Jiho earlier, but with everyone knowing each other better now, Jihoon doesn’t feel the need to hold himself back. He is naturally touchy after all, and it takes a lot of effort to remind himself not to run his fingers over Taeil’s arm when he’s just sitting right beside.

“What won’t I mind?” Jiho asks when he’s near the table.

“Nothing,” Jaehyo says, the same time Jihoon replies, “PDA.”

Jiho doesn’t react, just sits down, and Jihoon shoots a triumphant look to Jaehyo. He lets his fingers lightly trace along Taeil’s inner wrist while his other hand holds a fork to spear a cherry tomato on the plate in front of him. Jaehyo sighs softly but he resumes eating.

After a while, Jiho suddenly says, “Actually, Jihoon’s pretty tame, as far as PDA goes.”

Jihoon looks up at the statement, tilting his head. He’s not sure if he should smile or not, because it probably isn’t true, given the way Taeil’s giving an awkward splutter that he’s trying to disguise as a cough while Jaehyo eyes him with an unamused expression. Meeting Jiho’s eyes, Jihoon goes for saying, “Uh, that’s probably not true…” He thinks it’ll be impolite to explain he’s been restraining himself in Jiho’s presence, so he doesn’t add that. It’ll be trying to rub in Jiho’s face that he’s just a fresh acquaintance sitting with a polyamorous trio who are clearly much closer to each other than they are to him.

Jiho probably hasn’t noticed Jihoon’s hesitation, because he laughs, “Well, I mean, you haven’t met Kyungie and Minhyuk. Those two can really take PDA to the next level.”

He’s curious what Kyung and Minhyuk’s PDA would be like. But the smirk Jiho’s giving as he gazes skywards, probably recalling incidents of said PDA makes Jihoon think it’s probably safer not asking. Deciding to change the topic, Jihoon asks, “Jiho hyung, what do you like to do in your free time?”

“Hmm,” Jiho ponders, finger tapping lightly against his chin, “Lots of things, I guess. Listening to music, sleeping in.” He pauses for a moment, then adds, “Oh, and I love getting tattoos.”

 

 

_JAEHYO_

Jiho’s revelation that he likes getting tattoos surprises Jaehyo. He hadn’t seen any visible ink on the guy when he was observing him earlier. But what’s more surprising (or maybe not, given what happened earlier) is that Jiho’s turned from looking at Jihoon to face Taeil when he said it. Taeil flushes slightly from coming under Jiho’s attention suddenly, although he manages to ask in a relatively even voice, “You have tats?”

It’s the same question Jaehyo wants to ask, having just done another quick scan of Jiho from head to toe to confirm that he really hadn’t seen any tattoos on Jiho. Then again, the guy’s wearing a long sleeved summer jacket over a round neck t-shirt with jeans, so it’s not like there’s a lot of skin exposed.

“Yeah, I do. They’re all in places a suit would normally cover, or I wouldn’t be able to keep my job,” Jiho says with a smile. He nods slightly in the direction of Taeil’s obviously tattooed knuckles, one of the tattoos Taeil has that he can’t really cover no matter what he wears. When the weather is colder, Taeil sometimes wear oversized sweaters so the sleeves drape over his knuckle tattoos to save himself some questioning looks on the streets, but the weather at the moment is too warm for his hyung to do that. Jaehyo himself has a small KR tattooed on his wrist, but they don’t draw the same kind of disdain Taeil’s colourful ink does, although he knows the feeling of being judged for having ink. Anyway, Taeil hadn’t been trying to hide his tattoos, but he clearly hadn’t expected it to be a topic of conversation, because his fingers move from resting on the table to under it, where they’ll be out of sight. Seeing his hyung uncomfortable makes Jaehyo feel a little uneasy himself, and he grunts out a little rougher than he intended, “Maybe you should find a job that doesn’t mind your tats then.”

If Jiho’s offended by his tone, he doesn’t show it, because he just replies, “I’ll love to. But my current job actually pays me pretty well, so even though it might be tempting to find somewhere else that’ll let me have more visible tattoos, I think I’m alright with where I am now.”

Jiho’s calm reply leaves Jaehyo unsure of what he should say, but luckily, Taeil decides to ask at this moment, “So, do you have any place you frequent for your tattoos?”

Jiho’s answer is the name of Taeil’s favourite tattoo parlor, and Jaehyo has to bite his lip to prevent himself from saying something stupid in response to Taeil’s eyes lighting up. He picks up his fork to twirl some spaghetti as Taeil asks Jiho whether he has a favourite artist at the place, and how he even heard of the little nondescript shop anyway. Jaehyo tunes out Jiho’s reply, although whatever he said clearly pleases Taeil, because his hyung smiles, a big one showing his teeth. Beside him, Jihoon’s grinning too.

“Wow, you used to take art lessons with him? That’s incredible,” Taeil breathes. Jaehyo assumes the “him” he’s referring to is Taeil’s (and maybe also Jiho’s) favourite tattoo artist. He places the twirled bundle of cream-coated pasta into his mouth so he won’t have to say anything while Jiho chuckles, saying that yes, he did attend school with the guy but that was a long time ago. Taeil’s clearly impressed either way though, because his eyes have the kind of sparkle they only have when he’s talking about tropical fish, tattoos or when he’s teasing Jaehyo in bed. Trying to ignore that last thought, Jaehyo chews his food silently while he tries to look like he’s listening, but really, he’s tuned out most of what they’ve been saying since Jiho started the conversation about tattoos. He’s not sure if he can keep his feelings off his face while he listens to Jiho flirt with Taeil, because that’s clearly what this is, isn’t it?

 

 

_TAEIL_

Outside his favourite tattoo parlor, Taeil counts down the minutes to his appointment, tapping his foot impatiently because Jiho’s not there yet. After the lunch that day, Jiho had texted him to talk about tattoos, and Taeil couldn’t help but be excited about having someone who’s as interested in body art as he is. Jiho had even sent a few photos of the tattoos he has on his arms, which Taeil appreciates, because Jiho had mentioned that most of his tattoos are quite personal. Wanting to reciprocate the honesty Jiho has shown him, Taeil told him about the new tattoo he’s getting on his neck, asking if Jiho would like to drop by during the session. After all, Jiho knows the owner, and it’s always nice to have friendly company when the tattooing sessions are at least 2 hours long.

It’s not like Taeil can talk to his tattoo artist during the sessions, because Il Woo is the kind who can’t multitask, and he’s not going to risk getting his ink permanently messed up just because he needs someone to chat to. He had tried bringing Jihoon along for a session once a few years ago, but that had been a disaster, because that boy could not sit still (still can’t) and that session had to be cut short. Jaehyo was quiet the few times Taeil brought him along but his company was nice enough. Despite that, Taeil didn’t think he can always ask Jaehyo for his company when each of his elaborate and colourful tattoos take multiple sessions. So Jiho agreeing to drop by his tattoo session had been a sort of blessing. That is, until this moment when his appointment is due in two minutes and the guy hasn’t appeared yet. Taeil’s contemplating whether he should just head into the shop for his session when Jiho appears running.

“Sorry, am I late?”

“No, but you’re cutting it close,” Taeil says. He sounds curt, so he adds, “Never mind. Come on, let’s go in.”

 

 

When he’s settled in, and Il Woo’s started on the line work, Jiho says, “So, what are you getting on your neck?”

Taeil’s seated on the chair, topless although he’s holding a jacket across his chest because it gets cold after a while. He tries not to move his neck too much when he answers. “Uh, a monkey.”

Jiho seems to have realized it’s not the best time for Taeil to be talking, because he says, “Ah,” instead of continuing to ask more questions. He does talk about himself though, so Taeil doesn’t mind.

When the session is over, Taeil has the bulk of the lines done, although he still has more sessions to colour in his tat. He thanks Il Woo, then leaves to put on his shirt. The sounds inside the room suggest that Jiho’s chatting with the guy. Taeil’s finished buttoning his shirt (he’s learnt that button-ups are the easiest to wear after getting tattoos because they don’t need much maneuvering) when Il Woo appears.

“I didn’t know you know Jiho,” Il Woo says, crossing his arms. Over the many visits Taeil’s made to the place, he’s started to think of Il Woo as a sort of friend as much as he is his tattoo artist. Il Woo hadn’t minded when Taeil dropped honorifics with him even though he’s older, and now they’re friendly enough that they pretty much speak without honorifics to each other all the time.

 “I only recently met him,” Taeil answers, while adjusting his cap.

“Hmm,” Il Woo mumbles. When Taeil turns to look at him, the guy says, “What happened to the other guy who used to come with you? Jaehyo, was it? The one who sort of looks like me, although I am, of course, more handsome.”

“You can think what you want, but I’ll always think Jaehyo looks better,” Taeil retorts jokingly. “Anyway, nothing happened, I just didn’t ask him to come along today. Why?”

“Nah, nothing,” Il Woo mutters. It doesn’t look like nothing, but Taeil doesn’t get a chance to ask because Jiho comes in at this moment.

“Want to grab a coffee with me? I’ll pay, because I almost caused you to be late for your appointment just now,” Jiho says in a sincere voice, looking apologetic even though he hadn’t technically caused Taeil to be late, even if he did give him a lot of anxiety while waiting.

It’s free coffee, and it’s not like he’s pressed for time, so Taeil takes the nice gesture for what that it is and nods.

 

 

They end up in one of those chain coffee shops because it’s the closest place, and the Americano is passable, so Taeil doesn’t complain. Jiho grimaces though, when he drinks his. “This tastes really bad. I should have brought you to somewhere else.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Taeil offers. “I’ve drunk worse. Anyway, thanks for coming along to keep me company during the session. Not everyone will spend their Saturday with a friend in a small little tattoo shop.”

Jiho’s laugh is light but it reverberates in the corner they’re seated in, making it louder than it is. “I know it’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but I like sitting in the tattoo parlor actually. It wasn’t a chore.”

Taeil catches himself smiling slightly in the reflection against the window. He’s never really had anyone he knows being interested in body art before, and it’s really refreshing to have someone to talk to about it. Now that he’s talked to Jiho, he can see why Jihoon had gotten close to him so easily and quickly even though Jiho is a senior in the office. The guy’s really likeable, once you get past his scary face.

“Oh, and I didn’t managed to ask you just now because you couldn’t really speak, but why a monkey on your neck?” Jiho asks around a sip of coffee, waving a hand in Taeil’s general direction. He makes a pained face, but sips more of the drink anyway. It’s kind of funny the way he’s making himself swallow the drink when he’s clearly not interested in it, and Taeil grins, although he doesn’t comment on it.

“Hmm, it’s kind of silly, but Jihoon really likes monkeys, and he kind of looks like one. So I thought, why not get a tattoo of a monkey?” What he doesn’t say aloud is that getting a monkey tattoo is like getting _Jihoon_ inked on his neck, because it’s too cheesy to state in such plain terms. Taeil also doesn’t mention the fact that he has a sensitive neck, and it means more to have something reminding him of Jihoon inked there, because of how it’ll hurt more. Something like a declaration of how much he loves Jihoon and how he’s willing to endure such pain for him, but Taeil pushes that thought away quickly, because it sounds too cringe worthy to think about even in his own head.

Across the table, Jiho doesn’t say anything, still trying to drink his coffee, but the slight nod and the look in his eyes suggests that he’s understood what Taeil had left unsaid anyway. Honestly, it’s a pretty silly thing, getting a monkey tattoo on his neck. Taeil hasn’t even told Jihoon about it yet, although he did tell him that he’s getting a new tat on his neck. He’s kind of hoping to surprise Jihoon later, when he reaches home. After all, Jihoon’s usually the first one to ask to see Taeil’s tattoo, and Taeil has had to peel off his protective bandage multiple times to show him the various fresh tattoos still red against his skin. He imagines Jihoon at home right now, chilling because it’s the weekend and he doesn’t have to work, waiting to jump up to ask to see his tattoo the moment he gets home. He wonders how Jihoon would react later. Taeil feels himself grinning without meaning to, and he schools his expression into something else so it’ll be less obvious that he was distracted in his own head. Jiho doesn’t seem to be paying attention to his face though, because he’s taking yet another sip of his coffee. But this time he doesn’t continue, pulling the straw away from his mouth and setting the cup down on the table a little too hard.

“It’s sweet,” Jiho mutters.

Taeil looks at the plain Americano Jiho ordered, remembering for a fact that he hadn’t asked for suger or syrup earlier. He wonders if Jiho’s commenting on the significance of his new tattoo in the most tactful way he can, or if he had actually added stuff in his coffee when Taeil wasn’t looking. Jiho’s lips are slightly quirked, but it could mean anything, so Taeil picks up Jiho’s cup to take a sip for himself to check.

It’s plain old Americano, no sugar, no syrup.

“…thanks, I guess,” Taeil says, obviously not referring to the sip of coffee he stole from Jiho, but the comment earlier. His face feels suddenly too warm. Even without a mirror, Taeil knows he’s probably blushing, and he ducks his head, glad he’s worn his cap with the bill in front.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jiho's getting settled into the story :)
> 
> I don't really know how people get neck tattoos (or tattoos in general) so I'm sorry if I got the details wrong. On a side note, I decided to name the tattoo artist Il Woo after the character Jaehyo acted as in the webdrama (What on Earth is going on?) because he's probably not going to appear much. Plus, I didn't want it to be Yukwon because I can't imagine him as a tattoo artist, lol. But it probably doesn't matter...I'm just saying it because it'll make more sense why Il Woo claims Jaehyo to be his lookalike ._.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll love to know what you think!
> 
> P.S.: I'm on tumblr as [stillcian1675](stillcian1675.tumblr.com) if anyone's interested. It started as a side blog for block b but now it has various other stuff lol.


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Six is for sex. No, not really, lol, but there's mature content in this chapter. I'm going to go change the rating of this fic from teen to mature now.

_JAEHYO_

They’re both on the couch. Jihoon’s snuggled against his shoulder, nose buried in the crook of Jaehyo’s neck and every exhale tickles the skin exposed by his loose t-shirt. It’s distracting, just a little bit, but Jaehyo’s thinking about something and he focuses most of his attention on it, ignoring Jihoon’s little movements. It’s only when Jihoon pushes his hand between Jaehyo’s back and the couch that he turns to look at Jihoon.

“Jihoon.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ve been wondering about something. Do you think Jiho is perhaps… interested in Taeil?” Jaehyo says this softly, not entirely sure if the flirting he’s picked up since lunch a week ago can count as interest, or if it’s even something he should be worried about. He knows they shouldn’t keep secrets from each other, but he doesn’t like saying things without being at least a bit certain, so he had dwelled on the thought for quite a while before he finally decides to tell Jihoon. He thinks Jiho’s flirting with Taeil, the subtle looks and trying to get his hyung’s attention when they were in the café that day, the many texts they have exchanged over the past week, and Jiho’s even accompanying Taeil to his tattoo appointment today (something Taeil usually asks Jaehyo for).

Jihoon purses his lips together, brows coming to meet in the middle. He thinks like this for a while, before he replies, “Hmm, I don’t think so? Jiho hyung’s just friendly, maybe? What makes you think he’s interested in Taeil hyung?”

Jaehyo tells Jihoon the looks Jiho gives Taeil, the interest and attention he focuses onto Taeil. He pauses for a beat, then adds, “Taeil looks at him like he’s really interested too. Sort of shy, but I think he’s interested on some level. I mean, he kind of looks at Jiho the same way he used to look at you from afar, you know.”

“Oh,” Jihoon blinks, then adds, “Hmm…”

There isn’t really a trace of surprise or jealousy in Jihoon’s voice, but then again he’s never been as easily overcome by jealousy as Taeil and Jaehyo can be. Anyway, it isn’t a very helpful answer so Jaehyo waits. After a long silence, he shifts his shoulder slightly, nudging Jihoon to continue, but all it does is make Jihoon close his eyes and snuggle further into the dip Jaehyo’s collarbone makes against his shoulder, mumbling incoherent sounds. It takes another long pause before Jihoon finally says, “Maybe we should just ask Taeil hyung about it. I mean, it’s just guesses from our side right now, isn’t it? We don’t know what hyung really thinks or feels.”

Letting his head fall to lean against the top of Jihoon’s head, Jaehyo sighs. “Yeah. I guess so. I guess we should just talk to him about it.”

Jihoon snakes a hand around Jaehyo’s waist at the response, then brings the other one to clasp over the first, holding Jaehyo between his arms. It’s a loose embrace, not uncomfortable, and Jaehyo sinks into the touch. He’s closing his eyes when Jihoon says softly, almost a whisper, “Anyway if Taeil hyung really is interested in Jiho hyung, is that really a bad thing?”

Jaehyo lets the thought run through his mind. It makes his chest a little tight. He feels possessiveness, jealousy, but logically he knows Taeil isn’t his to own; Taeil can do what he wants, like who he likes. In fact it’s because of Taeil liking whoever he likes – whoever being plural – that Jaehyo’s even sitting here next to Jihoon, the three of them sharing the same apartment. So he answers the best thing he can think of.

“I don’t know.”

 

 

_JIHOON_

Jaehyo sounds tired, or maybe just too worried with concern. Jihoon holds him, draws little strokes in his waist, coaxing him to relax. There’s nothing they can really do until they talk to Taeil about it anyway. He leans like this into Jaehyo until he almost falls asleep against Jaehyo’s shoulder, but the ache in his neck reminds him that he can’t stay like this for too long. So Jihoon untangles his hands from Jaehyo’s waist, turning so he can lie down to use Jaehyo’s thighs as a pillow instead. It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon when Jaehyo doesn’t have to be in his shop, and despite the slightly serious conversation earlier, Jihoon doesn’t want ruin their free time together. So he shifts his back on the couch, finding a comfortable spot so he can maintain physical contact with Jaehyo because he knows that touch can be a source of comfort and familiarity. It’s one of the biggest reason why he’s so touchy. Sure, touch can be for sexual reasons, the way Taeil and Jaehyo touch when they’re in the bedroom (and sometimes living room), but it can also be casual, the way Jihoon does it, to bring him and his hyungs comfort.

Jaehyo doesn’t say anything about Jihoon’s change in position, just brings a head to stroke through Jihoon’s hair absently. The distant look Jaehyo has on his face means that he’s probably still thinking about whatever they had talked about earlier, but Jihoon knows there’s not much else he can say to ease his mind, so he provides support with his comforting closeness instead. After a while, Jaehyo takes out his phone with the free hand that isn’t patting Jihoon head. Figuring Jaehyo needs more time to sort his thoughts out, Jihoon decides to find something to read on the internet himself.

 

 

Jihoon’s reading a manhwa he used to follow. He’s not read anything lately, too busy with work and other things, but he had wondered if one of the series he used to follow had any updates. It did. So now he’s eight chapters in, and he remembers why he hadn’t checked for updates. It’s one of those 18+ stories, the kind he can’t read on the subway to work because he doesn’t want anyone to realize he’s reading smut. It’s a guilty pleasure, and perhaps a strange one, because the story revolves around a straight couple trying out BDSM, which basically means lots of sexual scenes that Jihoon isn’t too personally interested in. But he doesn’t mind reading it, sometimes.  Even if he’s not always up for sex, Jihoon doesn’t mind reading or watching it, especially if the story is good (and this one is interesting, teaching him a lot about practicing BDSM  safely – not that he has any use for the information – but oddly sweet because of the romance). Sometimes he even reads manhwas or watches videos for the sexy bits, if he’s in a lowkey sexual mood.

After realizing that he’s greysexual, Jihoon kind of understands that he isn’t completely uninterested in sex, but neither is he very particularly interested in it. With that said, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t sometimes feel urges, like right now, when the manhwa’s slow build and unresolved sexual tension is making him feel things. It’s an interesting combination of fuzziness in his chest and tingling between his legs, a good kind of feeling that makes the story more enjoyable. Normally that’s the extent of his sexual interest, so to speak, whether for smut or for Taeil and Jaehyo in real life. But today, his body apparently feels things a little more intensely than it normally does, because the feeling remains even after Jihoon finishes the last updated chapter and puts his phone away. He stays like this for a while, then turns his head to look at Jaehyo.

“Hyung,” Jihoon mumbles softly, bringing his fingers to rest on Jaehyo’s waist then letting them trace up his chest.

“Yeah?” Jaehyo faces him, looking at him oddly when Jihoon sits up properly and brings his wandering hand to caress the back of Jaehyo’s neck. The skin is slightly warm under his fingers, and Jihoon feels the rush of heat in his body.

Without thinking, he leans in, brushing his lips softly against Jaehyo’s. It’s light at first, Jaehyo still giving him a quizzical look, but when Jihoon presses their lips together more firmly, he lets his eyelids flutter shut. Jihoon barely has time to take note of how long Jaehyo’s lashes are against his cheek before he closes his own eyes and puts his mind on kissing Jaehyo properly. It’s soft, Jaehyo’s lips, slightly chapped on the outside, but completely silken on the inside when Jihoon manages to slip his tongue in. He doesn’t remember when he last kissed Jaehyo, when he last felt like he really wanted to properly kiss him silly like he’s doing right now. _Doesn’t matter_ , he thinks. All Jihoon knows is he _wants_ to, right now, and he chases that fleeting feeling with all his might.

It’s Jaehyo who breaks the kiss when they both run out of breath, panting before letting their foreheads rest against each other.

“…Jihoon?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying this, but, what’s going on?”

It’s funny, the look of concern Jaehyo’s giving him. Jihoon knows it’s unusual, for him to be initiating anything beyond just casual touching (or teasing nipple pinches), so he says, “I’m… feeling kind of horny right now, to be honest.”

He thinks it should be enough to spur Jaehyo to resume kissing, or maybe even do something _more_. After all, Jaehyo and Taeil often have sex over less blatant declarations. But Jaehyo raises an eyebrow, saying all too evenly, “Okay, you’re horny. But that’s kind of vague. Tell me what you want exactly, so I won’t do anything you don’t want.”

Maybe it’s the frustration from having Jaehyo ask him so primly and properly like they hadn’t just kissed each other’s brains out earlier, but Jihoon feels reckless when he answers, “Sex, the full package. Did you have to make me say it?”

Jaehyo’s reply is a lopsided smile, kissing the corner of Jihoon’s mouth much too tamely for his liking at the moment, before he replies, “Yes.”

He thinks that’s the end of it, and he can finally have his way with Jaehyo now, but Jaehyo puts a finger against his lips. “Now that we’re on the same page, tell me. How do you want it?”

 

 

They make their way to the bedroom with just an arm around each other, none of those crazed peeling clothes off each other dance or anything fancy. Jaehyo closes the door behind them but leaves it unlocked, because it’s not like anyone will walk in anyway. Jihoon had given his answer just now, and he looks at Jaehyo walking towards him, letting his brain think for only a second before he pulls him down onto the mattress.

“So strong, hmm?”

“Shut up,” Jihoon says without malice, smiling as he pushes Jaehyo down against the mattress. He’s feeling oddly dominant today, and Jaehyo’s eyes had that mischievous glint when Jihoon had said that he wanted to top earlier. He sets his knees on either side of Jaehyo’s hips, hand still against Jaehyo’s chest. Jaehyo doesn’t comment, just smiles, although the smile changes into something different when Jihoon traces his hand down Jaehyo’s torso. He reaches the hem of Jaehyo’s shirt, tugging it slightly and Jaehyo lifts his back off the mattress so Jihoon can remove his shirt.

He bends forward to kiss Jaehyo after the shirt is tossed aside, hands roaming the tan expanse of Jaehyo’s chest. It’s muscled, firm but slightly soft, and Jaehyo’s hands come up against his back as well, first over his shirt, then under. It’s too much, and not enough, and Jihoon breaks the kiss to let out a low whine, hurriedly pulling his shirt over his head so he can resume kissing and have Jaehyo’s hands on bare skin. Their pants follow after a while, in the midst of more kissing and wandering hands.

It’s when their lips are swollen from kissing and their bodies much too warm that Jaehyo pants, “Lube. Bottom drawer.”

The lack of properly formed sentences makes Jihoon laugh, not that he isn’t slightly out of breath himself, and he reaches for the drawer quickly, not wanting to leave Jaehyo unattended to for long. He finds condoms in the same place.

“I can prep myself,” Jaehyo starts, picking up the bottle Jihoon had set down, but Jihoon grabs the bottle from his hand.

“I’ll do it.”

 

 

It starts off with Jaehyo against the mattress, Jihoon’s fingers leaving crescent marks deep in Jaehyo’s thighs while he holds them apart. He pushes in slowly.  Jaehyo lets out a low sound, and Jihoon halts. But apparently it’s the wrong thing to do, because Jaehyo hooks his legs around Jihoon’s back and presses his heels in, pushing Jihoon against him, into the heat and _oh_. His eyes close and he has to take a breath. Jihoon’s opening his eyes when he feels Jaehyo’s lips brush against his already sensitive ones, and the light graze of teeth spurs something on in him.

“Shit. Jae –“

 

 

_JAEHYO_

Neither of them are forming coherent words, the room filled with pure _sounds_ , but it doesn’t matter, because it’s Jihoon, and Jaehyo wants to savour the rare moment. It doesn’t last for very long though, because Jihoon’s moving but he isn’t moving faster nor more roughly the way Jaehyo is used to. When Jaehyo runs a hand down Jihoon’s face, it’s damp with perspiration, and Jihoon gives him a glazed but slightly sheepish look. Without words, Jaehyo takes the hint, flipping Jihoon over, so he’s the one on top now.

“Shh,” He says because he can’t think right now, but he thinks Jihoon gets what he’s saying once he starts riding him. It’s more tiring this way, his thighs feeling the slight ache from the effort to keep the pace he wants but Jaehyo doesn’t mind. He drinks in the feeling, the way Jihoon looks with his face scrunched and his hands grabbing Jaehyo’s ass, nails digging in. He can’t kiss Jihoon from this position, but Jaehyo thinks it’s worth it when he sees the look in Jihoon’s eyes before they flutter shut with a small moan.

 

 

_TAEIL_

There’s no one in the living room when he gets home, no Jihoon to run up to him and ask him about his new tattoo. Taeil feels oddly disappointed but he brushes it off. Maybe they went out to buy food or something. It’s not like he had asked them to stay at home or anything. When he reaches the living room, tossing his keys on the coffee table, Taeil hears moans and the sound of skin against skin, and he vaguely wonders which of his neighbors might be having sex on a Saturday afternoon. He hopes they don’t have kids, because those poor things would be traumatized. He’s almost going to send a message to Jaehyo and Jihoon jokingly complaining about the thinness of their apartment walls when he realizes that the sounds are coming from their bedroom.

His first thought is “What?” but Taeil finds himself moving to the door anyway. The low groans and pants get louder, and this close, he can tell one set definitely belongs to Jaehyo. Which could only mean the other must be Jihoon’s (but… _Jihoon?_ ).

The door knob turns easily under Taeil’s hand, and he throws the door open without thinking. The sight that greets him is Jaehyo’s glistening back, sweat sliding down the dips of his lower back into the curve of his ass as he rides Jihoon. They’re both too focused to notice him or that the door’s open.

It’s a beautiful sight.

Jihoon’s mouth is opened slightly and Jaehyo’s hair moving with every jerk he makes. Taeil’s not sure how long he stands there for, but there’s a moment when Jihoon makes a choked cry and Jaehyo follows soon after, slumping onto Jihoon’s bare chest once he stops moving. They stay like this for a while on the mattress, and Taeil by the door. Eventually, it’s Jihoon who opens his eyes first and notices him.

“Hyung!” Jihoon’s voice is hoarse, but still holds a trace of his excitement, and Taeil smiles a little. “Come here,” Jihoon says with a small wave. At the cry of “hyung”, Jaehyo slides off Jihoon to turn and look at him, and he too gives a smile, beckoning for Taeil to join them.

He almost starts to move, but taking in the genuine smiles on Jaehyo’s and Jihoon’s face, Taeil feels like the one on his own face is suddenly too frozen and fake in comparison. There’s a strange lump in his throat when he tries to swallow, and he has to make an effort to keep his smile on as he says, “It’s okay, I need to go and clean my new tattoo first.”

Taeil turns to leave after that, but not before he catches the looks on Jaehyo and Jihoon’s faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh, I've never written anything that is even vaguely close to smut, usually just kisses and like two line sentences describing the characters getting it on if they do, but this is something I thought would be relevant for understanding Jihoon better, and also to see how Jaehyo reacts to Jihoon's behaviour. I hope it wasn't too unexpected...(?)
> 
> Also, sorry to end on that note with Taeil, but I hope it keeps you excited for the next chapter. :) I'll love to know what you think!


	7. Seven

_TAEIL_

He hadn’t locked the bathroom door when he went in, barely closing the door really, and Taeil looks up from splashing water on his face to find Jihoon looking at him from the reflection of the mirror. Jihoon doesn’t say anything, just reaches his arms around Taeil’s waist and snuggles against him, and Taeil leans back instinctively, breathing in the feeling of Jihoon warm around him. He almost forgets that he had just gotten inked, and shouldn’t be messing with the area around his neck, until Jihoon pulls his head back.

“Is this your new tattoo?”

Taeil sees Jihoon peering at the protective bandage on his neck, and he replies, “Yeah, it is.” He manages a smile when he sees Jihoon’s fingers creeping up like he wants to remove the bandage to see what new ink he has underneath, and Taeil laughs.

“Can I see it?” Jihoon asks, and Taeil feels the corners of his mouth tug up.

“Yeah.”

He tries to peel the tape off his neck, but in the end Jihoon ends up being the one to do it. Jihoon’s fingers are tender, moving slowly so he doesn’t tug the protective bandage too much and Taeil feels his breath rise and fall in cadence with the gentle movements of Jihoon’s motions. There’s a little sound when Jihoon finishes removing the tape, some little excited triumphed sound escaping from Jihoon’s rounded lips, and before he realizes, the bandage’s gone from his neck.

“Ooh, is that a tattoo of…a monkey?”

The yes Taeil gives makes Jihoon’s eyes light up. _He probably caught on to the symbolism_ , Taeil thinks, instinctively wanting to hide from embarrassment at how much of a _sappy_ romantic he is, but he doesn’t have the time to be embarrassed because Jihoon leans in to press a soft kiss to his cheek.

“That’s _cute_ ,” Jihoon breathes, warm air from his words grazing the skin of his cheeks. Jihoon’s voice is usually low to begin with, but when he whispers like this, it takes on a different quality of gravelly, making Taeil shiver a little. He doesn’t have time to think of a reply though, because Jihoon’s hands come up to cup his face, and soft lips capture his. Jihoon hardly ever initiates kissing on the lips although he gives cheek kisses freely, so Taeil should be thinking about how nice it is, to have Jihoon be the one giving him a gentle but loving kiss. Instead, all he can think about is how much Jihoon smells and tastes like Jaehyo.

 

 

He ends up hastily sending Jihoon out under the excuse of needing to shower so he can tend to his new tattoo, but he doesn’t actually do that. Instead, Taeil finds himself spending too long under the water wondering why he felt that strong surge of jealousy over Jihoon having sex with Jaehyo. It’s not like the three of them are not together, as in _all together_ in a poly relationship. And it’s not like he doesn’t get any sex with Jaehyo. The bathroom is too warm and humid from how long he spends inside with the hot water running and his thoughts going pointlessly nowhere. In the end, it’s only when he opens the glass door of the shower area and feels the cool air on his skin does Taeil belatedly realizes why.

It’s because Jihoon is greysexual.

The moment it occurs to him, it feels like there’s a heaviness compressing Taeil’s chest, one that feels too much like guilt. He has to press a palm to his chest to ease the feeling but all it does is let him know how fast his heart is suddenly beating. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Taeil tries to work through the logic in his head. Even though he understands and accept greysexuality in his mind, Taeil can’t help but wonder if on some level he still associates sex with some kind of value and exclusivity. Because if he doesn’t, why would he feel left out from their polyamorous relationship just because Jaehyo and Jihoon had sex without him? It’s almost like he thinks having Jihoon _as he is_ is not enough, and it also makes sex with Jihoon sound like some sort of prize he’s secretly after. Reaching for a towel with a hand that moves too fast he ends up knocking his knuckles against the wall, Taeil wraps himself tightly between the soft material. He closes his eyes. The discordance between how he had unconsciously reacted and how his supposedly more accepting brain thinks makes him feel more than a little disgusted with himself. He’s supposed to be better at this. Taeil finds himself leaning on the basin to keep himself grounded, but apparently he spaces out, because the next thing he notices is a loud knock from the other side of the bathroom door.

“Hyung, are you okay?”

 

 

JAEHYO

Taeil’s been in the bathroom for longer than he usually showers, and even if Jaehyo accounts for the extra time Taeil needs for his new tattoo, he still finds himself worrying that something might have happened to Taeil behind the closed door. Jihoon has fallen asleep shortly after Taeil went to shower and Jaehyo doesn’t want to wake him up when he looks so blissful, limbs loose and tangled in the blankets, so he doesn’t shake him awake to get a second opinion on whether he should knock on Taeil’s door. But Jaehyo can only take so much waiting, especially when his ears don’t pick up the sound of water running anymore. It has been forty minutes since Taeil’s went into the bathroom, and Jaehyo thinks that’s more than sufficient time for his hyung to be done, especially when his brain is unhelpfully supplying potential worst-case scenarios. What if the only reason Taeil’s taking so long is because he had somehow fainted in the bathroom?

Instead of tormenting his mind with more images of Taeil crumpled on the ground for whatever reason his healthy hyung might have to faint, Jaehyo walks over to the bathroom door when the clock shows that another five minutes have passed. He can’t wait anymore. Holding his fist over the bathroom door, Jaehyo knocks once.

“Hyung are you okay?”

A pause. Jaehyo calls out again, “Hyung, if you need help cleaning your tattoo, I can come in or something?”

He’s almost going to shout again ( _it can’t be that Taeil really fainted, right?_ ) when Taeil finally says, “I’m wearing my clothes, I’m almost done.” The door then opens to reveal a freshly showered Taeil with dripping wet hair. He had been worrying for no reason after all, Jaehyo thinks, feeling a little lighter now that Taeil is in front of him. Without thinking, Jaehyo picks up the towel Taeil has slung around his neck and gently presses the moisture out of his hyung’s hair. The towel is fluffy enough that it doesn’t take long to absorb the excess water, and when Jaehyo’s done, Taeil’s looking at him instead of at his own toes like he was doing earlier.

“Jae –“ Taeil starts, but the rest of his name gets lost against Jaehyo’s lips when Taeil’s lips crashes into his roughly, hands going around to grip the back of his neck firmly. Jaehyo’s body leans in out of habit, but his mind is confused by the sudden change of events. It’s not like Taeil doesn’t sometimes kiss him impulsively, but there’s something different about this, and when Taeil finally pulls apart, his suspicion is proven right by Taeil saying, “Can you take a quick shower? I want to go up to the rooftop.”

The implication that Taeil wants him to go with him is clear, and Jaehyo doesn’t get to question it before he finds himself being led into the bathroom and the door closing on him from the outside.

 

 

JIHOON

When Jihoon wakes up, it’s to an apartment that sounds too empty. Rubbing his eyes, he squints at the fading sunlight streaming in from the little gap where the curtains have parted. After getting his senses back, Jihoon gets up to wander around the house, trying to find Jaehyo or Taeil, but neither of them are around, proving his earlier suspicion that their home sounded too empty. The next thing he finds is his phone, and luckily there’s a message from Jaehyo. “Rooftop” is all it says, but Jihoon gathers that the two are probably at their apartment building’s rooftop. It’s not a particularly high apartment, so the roof is open to use, although most people don’t really bother going up. Jihoon’s been up there a few times though, and he knows Taeil sometimes wander up there by himself to feel the night breeze. Grabbing a hoodie and some pants, Jihoon makes himself as presentable as he can without a shower (he really should take one but it’ll take too long and he wants to know what Jaehyo and Taeil are doing) and heads up.

 

 

Jihoon takes his time climbing the stairs, mostly because he doesn’t want to get himself winded. It’s just as well, because once he gets to the top, he sees the door to the rooftop slightly ajar, familiar voices in a hushed tone speaking. Figuring Jaehyo and Taeil probably hadn’t heard him coming up the stairs with how they’re not pausing in their conversation, Jihoon walks a little closer to the door. He can’t hear much besides faint mentions of his name, so after a moment, he pushes the door wide open.

“Hey, Jihoon. You’re awake.”

He merely nods as he takes in Jaehyo, slightly smiling after his greeting, and Taeil a little beside him, a frown between his brows. Both of them are leaning their elbows against the parapet, and it looked like they might have been having a serious talk earlier, before he came in.

“What are you guys doing on the roof?” Jihoon asks, when he reaches the corner they’re at, leaning his back against the concrete railing.

“Talking about stuff,” Jaehyo replies, while Taeil starts, “I…”

There’s a moment when it looked like Jaehyo was going to stop Taeil from continuing, but Jaehyo shrugs and leans back, and then Taeil says, “I was just talking to Jaehyo about how I… felt a little jealous just now when I came home to find that you guys… had sex.”

“Oh,” Jihoon says. He hadn’t considered that earlier. Looking at Taeil’s hunched frame, it looks like his hyung has been thinking about it, worrying about it, and Jihoon immediately puts his arms around Taeil, holding him loosely. “You should have told me earlier.”

“…you’re not…upset?” Taeil asks, voice muffled from where his face is against Jihoon’s shoulder.

“Hmm?” Jihoon pulls back from the hug a little to look at Taeil. “No. Why would I be?”

“Because… I don’t know, because I’m making a big deal out of you having sex with Jaehyo?”

Jihoon blinks slowly. “Are you?” Because Taeil talking to Jaehyo about it is probably the opposite of making a big deal out of it. He’s about to tell Taeil that, when Jaehyo says it for him instead.

“See, I told you. It’s fine. We understand.”

Jihoon wants to point out that he doesn’t _really_ , doesn’t get why Taeil thinks he’s making a big deal when he isn’t, but then Jaehyo gives him a look, and he doesn’t say anything. Maybe for the moment it’s enough to have Taeil’s concerns soothed. Maybe for the moment, it’s enough to hold both of them tightly and savour the touch, because sometimes words are inadequate. Because sometimes things aren’t resolved by talking everything out with reason, but by showing that concerns are heard and feelings, bad and good, are all accepted unconditionally.

 

 

It’s later when Taeil’s out getting some late-night ice-cream that Jaehyo says, “He was actually feeling bad that he got jealous when he came home to us having sex. Partly because of how rarely you get in the mood for sexy times, and partly because he had kind of expected you to be excited and all over his new tattoo the moment he got home so he got disappointed that you were otherwise occupied.”

It sounds so _cute_ , so much like what he would expect of Taeil, that Jihoon laughs before Jaehyo finishes. Jaehyo gives him a side eye, but jokes wryly, “See, this is why I didn’t want him to tell you this.”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t even think it’s a concern, do you?”

“No,” Jihoon answers truthfully, stretching his long limbs out on the couch and invading Jaehyo’s space. “I just think it’s a very _Taeil_ thing to do.” When Jaehyo raises an eyebrow, Jihoon continues, “I mean, it’s just how Taeil hyung is, you know. He gets a little possessive, but he knows he’s doing it, so he tries to control himself. I don’t really mind though, since it’s kind of his way of showing love, and as long as it doesn’t go overboard…” Jihoon ends with a little shrug, and pulls his arms back in so Jaehyo isn’t squished on the couch.

Jaehyo sits as if he’s still squished for a little more before he gets more comfortable, then runs a hand through his hair. “Ah, maybe I should have just let you say that when hyung’s around.”

“Hmm,” Jihoon hums, but he isn’t really thinking about the issue anymore. He’s pretty sure the talk earlier had already eased Taeil’s immediate concerns (and guilt?), and mentioning it again would probably just remind Taeil of what he probably thinks is a big mistake he made, causing him to berate himself again. Jihoon doesn’t want that, and he can tell Jaehyo’s reached the same conclusion because he’s making a _face_ like he’s thinking the same thing.

After a while of sitting in silence because there’s nothing much else to be said on the matter, Jihoon mumbles, “Oh yeah. Did you manage to tell him what you told me about Jiho hyung?”

Jaehyo’s about to answer, but then the front door clicks open. Taeil walks in, drowned in a hoodie too many sizes too big, looking so adorable Jihoon wants to pinch his cheeks even though he had already done it earlier before Taeil went out. He’s about to stand up to walk over and do it again (because one can never get too much of Taeil’s cuteness), when Taeil asks casually as he removes his shoes, “Tell who what about Jiho?”

The tone is just lightly curious, Taeil clearly having no idea who or what they’re referring to, but Jihoon senses Jaehyo tense a little. Taeil had only been cursorily curious earlier, but Jaehyo’s action makes him pause while he’s slipping his feet into indoor slippers. Jihoon sighs, and puts his hands down. It’ll be inappropriate to pinch Taeil’s cheeks now, with the suddenly serious atmosphere. And it looks like they’ll be having ice-cream to the _second_ serious conversation of the day. This wasn’t exactly what Jihoon had in mind when he pestered Taeil to buy ice-cream earlier to satisfy his sweet tooth. He flops and lets his limbs invade Jaehyo’s space again, not caring that his hand lands on Jaehyo’s thigh a little too hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon's not one for having too many serious conversations even if he knows they're sometimes necessary, lol.
> 
> I took a while, but I hope you like the chapter, and I'll love to know what you think! Also, Bastarz's comeback + Jaehyo and Taeil being super supportive, going to their MV shooting and appearing on their Vapps makes me really happy. :) Of course there's the Block B Vapp showing support too, but I think Jaehyo and Taeil went out of their way a bit more, and it shows how they're ...close? To the members? Ah, ignore me. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. :)


End file.
